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The news of a recent museum exhibition spread through the masses, they were going to show different historical artifacts that belonged to royalty from all across the world.
The word reached even the wandering phantom thief, Kairi Yano.
One of the pieces that would be displayed was a red crown adorned with rubies known as “Cour du Roi Cramoisi”, one of the missing pieces of the Lupin Collection that he was looking for.
Wherever there was a treasure to steal, the thieves that everyone’s been talking about would be there.
Kairi considered the idea of calling the other Lupinrangers to assist with the robbery, but they were doing other things with their lives. Touma is too busy running his own café and improving his cooking skills. Meanwhile, Umika is probably having too many sleepless nights in vocational college.
There’s just no need to worry. This task shouldn't be anything too difficult, anyways. Especially compared to all of the other items stolen by the famous Arsène Lupin. He just needed to sneak into the museum, take it and leave.
Time passed, the vibrant streets turned into quiet ones, all while the trickster wandered around with the intention of finding more clues, keeping his ears alert and checking on the building that he would break into.
The moon rose over the city and Kairi headed back to his hideout. The time was right.
The phantom thief donned his red suit, his top hat and his mask once more.
LupinRed dashed into the starry night with a mischievous smile on his face. The tails of his coat waved against the cold wind, as he gracefully jumped from building to building with his acrobatics, his eyes set on his goal.
He gracefully landed on the rooftop of the building, unseen by the people making their way back to their homes or by the guards of the museum. There was no commotion or alert caused by his arrival. A cheeky grin slithered its way into Kairi’s face as he looked over a window that gave view to one of the prehistoric exhibitions, his body language relaxed and confident.
With a few gentle pushes of the frame, the open lock gave in, allowing the phantom thief to make his entrance into the building. The room was completely empty and a drop from that high up wouldn’t hurt him, but the echo of his shoes against the pristine floor could easily alert the security.
He fired his hookshot buckle towards the edge of the wall, allowing him to silently descend into the large room. Kairi held onto the sturdy rope through the device, loosening his grip in an intermittent manner.
Just a bit more, and he was finally inside of the museum.
Among the foliage of reconstructed dinosaur skeletons and ancient human tools, Kairi found a closed metal door that only the authorized staff could enter. Thankfully, a trained phantom thief like him had all the tools needed for situations like this. A door was barely an obstacle.
With two clips hidden underneath his right sleeve, he messed with the lock, picking at the pins that secured the gate in its place, and opened the way towards the treasure he was looking for.
The door quietly and steadily opened, revealing the chamber all the display pieces for the upcoming royalty exhibition, and between all the fancy scepters and shiny thrones was the crimson crown.
The treasure was contained within a fortified glass case, held behind a heavy lock device. Kairi placed his Red Dial Fighter over the complex machine, the small jet solved the code automatically, saying the series of numbers out loud.
“9-2-3.”
The cover gave in, giving full access to the piece of the Lupin Collection.
The phantom thief held it in his hands. Even if the Lupinrangers’ dreams of bringing back their loved ones were already fulfilled, they made a promise to Kogure, and the prize of any wish granted by the power of the combined treasures was still on the line.
There was no way that Kairi, Touma nor Umika were gonna miss on an opportunity like that.
The red thief hid the crown underneath his jacket, but just as he was about to head back from whence he came, the door to the storage room slammed open loudly.
“Under the authority of Global Police, we’re stopping you by force!” A strong, passionate and hot-blooded voice called out. It was so, so familiar to Kairi that he couldn’t help but smile warmly at the presence of such a trust-worthy and charming man.
“It’s been a long while, Keii-chan!” Kairi said with a short giggle and a teasing tone as he faced Keiichirou Asaka, a police officer from the Global Special Police Organization. He was such a serious and stubborn man, yet his heart of gold was able to allure his own. “You know… Catching me here all of the sudden, it’s just like old times!”
The officer brushed off the friendly talk, clearing his throat loudly and aiming his gun towards the bandit once more. Just like the old times. “Put your hands in the air and surrender, phantom thief!” That intense voice echoed through the room.
“You know… It’s sad that this is the only way we talk to each other now. What about that vacation we went on way back when? Maybe we should sit down and catch up, eat some nice food under the moonlight” said Kairi, his eyes shifting around the area to scan a possible escape route.
There were two large windows to his right and left, both of them were close to the ceiling, but a precise leap could do the trick.
Keiichirou’s grip on the weapon’s handle loosened up, almost like he was starting to consider that offer for a second. He still remembers those moments, those intimate moments that defied their position as cop and criminal, including that kiss that Kairi so boldly and suddenly planted on his lips just to shut him up.
Every moment was intoxicating, electrifying, it just told him that he wanted nothing but to spend more time with the man in front of him.
But his hands tightened again, threatening to pull the trigger on the robber at any moment. But it seemed like he couldn’t bring himself to, at least not yet. “I won’t fall for your tricks any longer!”
“I would love to stay here and trick you some more but… I have to return this crown to its original owner. I hope you don’t mind!” LupinRed winked and jumped towards one of the large windows.
The glass immediately gave way to him, each tiny shard sparkling against the gorgeous light of the moon, before loudly crashing down onto the floor beneath him.
As Kairi landed outside and prepared to run away, a thought began to course through his head. He didn’t hear a gunshot from Patren 1gou’s weapon, almost like they were letting them get away. Has he grown too soft in regards to the charming Kairi Yano? A giggle left his lips as he took a few steps forward.
No, that couldn’t be it. The hot-blooded policeman was too dedicated to his duty to let him escape like that, even when the thief had him wrapped around his finger.
Unless… He had a backup plan.
Just as realization dawned on him, something wrapped tightly around both of his wrists. He recognized the metallic and slightly sharp feeling, someone had just placed handcuffs on him.
“Keiichirou-senpai! Your plan worked perfectly!” It was Sakuya Hikawa, Patren 2gou, who had just captured him.
“You were very quick on your feet, Sakuya. Well done…” Tsukasa Myojin said with a cold yet kind voice. Of course, Patren 3gou was also part of this scheme.
Keiichirou must have told the two to guard all of the possible exits, preventing him from escaping without facing one of the Patrangers.
“Keii-chan, you lucky devil…” LupinRed whispered to himself, that mischievous grin making its way back to his face.
---
Kairi Yano was successfully moved to an interrogation room after his raid was successfully foiled.
Jim Carter found the data about the pieces that were going to be put on display. They compared it to the Trigger Machines and the VS Changers in the custody of the GSPO, and managed to recognize that “Cour du Roi Cramoisi” had an energy reading similar to that of the Lupin Collection.
After hearing that, the Patrangers investigated the museum and determined that one of the storage rooms only had three possible exits, two large windows and the staff entrance.
Keiichirou thought that, if they kept the crown hidden in there, the phantom thieves would have limited options. And since there were three people with the equipment necessary to stop them, the main members of the tactical unit would guard each one.
His plan worked perfectly, and now, they had the main member of the Lupinrangers captured.
Keiichirou and Tsukasa were all staring at the detained person through the one-way glass. Meanwhile, Sakuya was pushing a large crate inside of the room.
“Alright! Keiichirou-senpai, we can give the good cop and bad cop approach one more time!” The box opened to reveal tens, perhaps even thousands of costumes that Patren 2gou tried using for situations like this one. “Though, I did have an option for Tsukasa if she wanted to try, her kind approach could be improved with the black dress I had here somewhere…”
“Sakuya, there’s no need for that now!” Patren 1gou said out loud, raising his voice just enough for LupinRed to hear through the walls. “Kairi already knows us well, he won’t be fooled by the costumes…”
“Not to mention that he wears costumes all the time for his crimes.” Tsukasa added, letting out a long sigh as she thought of the next course of action. “I think it would be better if Keiichirou begins the interrogation.”
“Excuse me?!” The police officer in red exclaimed in shock, turning to the person who made the suggestion.
“You want to talk to him, do you not? If everything goes correctly, this might be the last chance you have to do so…”
He stared towards the man sitting all alone in the dull gray room. He would be lying if he denied such a claim.
If only they didn’t have to meet in such perilous conditions, if only they could keep going with the visits to the Bistrot Jurer. Just enjoying each other’s company between those colorful walls, sharing some of those wonderful pastries they cooked, growing closer and closer without having to aim a gun at each other.
But, he still had a duty to fulfill. At the end of the day, Kairi Yano was a thief and his fate was to pay for his crimes.
“Fine, I’ll go.” Keiichirou had a stern and serious tone as he tried to keep himself composed and avoid any emotions that could get in the way. He stomped out of there, his boots sounded heavy against the floor.
Tsukasa and Sakuya looked at each other. They knew that, regardless of how professional everything was, it was going to be an intimate moment between the two reds. The cops nodded to each other, deciding to walk out of there and give them a moment of privacy without any hidden prying eyes.
Sure, the members of the Global Police did have a close relationship with the phantom thieves due to their past interactions from when their identities were a secret. Particularly, Patren 2gou and 3gou had a particular connection to LupinYellow. But the bond that held the crimson cop and the scarlet robber was unlike any other.
It’s like their fates were intertwined.
After all, wherever the Lupinrangers went, the Patrangers would follow.
---
Kairi Yano had spent an hour and a half inside of that grey interrogation room. The darkness of the night seeped through the bars behind him, the only source of light within that place was a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, swinging back and forth.
This wasn’t the best situation to be in, but he could manage to find an escape route, the Lupinrangers already infiltrated the Global Special Police Organization building before. Maybe once he makes it through that door, he would find the way out without an issue.
Just as he considered standing up from his chair to explore the area and examine his options, the lock clicked and the door swung open with a loud metallic slam that rippled in the air.
“Where have you been hiding this entire time, phantom thief?!” Keiichirou exclaimed with that loud and powerful voice of his.
Kairi let out a long and disappointed sigh, his eyes shifting over where the one-way window should be. “No candles, no soup? Not even asking how I’ve been doing? You should really work on how you organize your dates…”
“Th-This is not a date, criminal!” The cop exclaimed, feeling slightly flustered by the non-chalant attitude of the robber. “While your accomplices have been trying to turn a new leaf, you are still up to your old tricks!”
“Are you still treating us like that after all we’ve been through? That’s so mean, I thought we had something more special…” The thief was just having a bit of fun despite his current circumstances, a cheeky grin sneaking its way to his lips. Kairi rests his head on top of his knuckles, looking at the lawful man like someone daydreaming about their crush.
“The shocking part is that you three are still going after the same goal despite everything we’ve been through!” Keiichirou continued, sitting down on the opposite side of the person being interrogated. “What’s on the line that you are still hunting the Lupin Collection?!”
“Well, I can’t tell you that. That would only get in the way of my fetching of the pieces.” His eyes looked away, disinterested in continuing the serious cop talk any further.
The other man let out a long sigh, recognizing that a few things about the blonde one haven’t changed. “You are still avoiding talking about the things that bother you. Isn’t that right, Kairi?”
Keiichirou’s voice became lower, less serious and more soft, yet stern, like he was letting the gorgeous criminal see through his position of authority.
“H-Huh? What’s with the sudden change of attitude?”
“Is this really how we are going to meet up from now on?” The cop looked the robber in the eyes, a gaze that should have been one from intimidation from a police officer, was now pure concern and worry for the other. “I wish it could have been a candle-lit dinner, somewhere quiet with just the two of us… Not this.”
Kairi remained quiet. They hadn’t really talked to one another after the fall of the Gangler. The Lupinrangers went back to their old tricks as soon as they were given freedom, and while the Patrangers would gladly follow them to the ends of the earth, one of them suffered the most under the idea that there could be no future where the two teams would spend time as friends.
And perhaps, a deeper bond could bloom between them.
“Keii-chan. Did you really miss me that much?” The trickster in red was surprised by the vulnerable moment from the hot-headed policeman.
“Just… Surely there is something more for us. This chase won’t go on forever, will it?”
The phantom thief suddenly stood up from his chair, his wrists were still shackled, but he could make good use of them.
Instead of walking around the table, Kairi climbed on top of it to get closer to the man right in front of him, the man that invaded his thoughts.
“I am sorry you felt like I’ve just abandoned you, Keii-chan.” The thief softly brought his hand closer over to the officer’s face, but he flinched backwards, rejecting the touch. “I want to make this very clear to you… I haven’t abandoned the bond we have, not by a long shot.”
Keiichirou’s eyes lit up for a split second. The criminal felt like he had been leading him on too early, especially with that kiss they shared a while back. Kairi continued talking. “I almost feel like I should make it up to you in some way… Because, our dance won’t stop any time soon.”
“B-But…”
The thief placed his shackled hands on the man’s chin, cupping his cheeks in a gentle manner. His hands were cold thanks to the temperature of the room, but the feeling was tender and caring. “But… It won’t last forever, I promise. I promise we won’t have to hold each other at gunpoint for much longer…”
LupinRed was sitting on the edge of the table, on the opposite end of his original position. He was leaning forward, getting his face closer to Patren 1gou’s so he could hear the following words clearly. “One day, all of this will end and we’ll catch up over some coffee at the café you like. I promise it, Kei-chan…” The blonde’s hands pressed against the other man’s chest, in an attempt to comfort him.
Kairi slowly leaned closer, his lips touching Keiichirou’s.
That moment was just as electrifying compared to that quick peck they shared some time ago. It felt right, it felt warm, their hearts beating with appreciation and care for the other.
The embrace went by just as fast as their first.
Just like that, it was gone.
“I would love to go on a date with you once the Lupin Collection has been gathered, Keii-chan…” He whispered in such a sweet and loving tone. “But for now…”
Kairi took the keys of his shackles from the pocket in Keiichirou’s uniform and his VS Changer without him noticing. The cop tried to react by grabbing the criminal, but he immediately jumped back towards his chair, freeing himself in the process.
He raised the gun and fired at the door, forcing it to open with a precise hail of blasts that missed the cop by mere inches.
“W-Wait!” Patren 1gou tried to leap over the table to grab LupinRed, but the smooth bandit dashed to the side, avoiding the grip of his captor and dashing out of the interrogation room.
That intimate moment went by just as fast as their kiss.
But, perhaps as a display of their deeper bond, Kairi left behind the stolen weapon. The officer picked it up from the floor and noticed a faint mark on the barrel, he had kissed it.
Keiichirou looked at it for a long minute, thinking about their words, about what had just happened.
He stared at the chair that Kairi was sitting on with a hint of frustration and admiration, combined into a concoction that the lawful man couldn’t get enough of.
“Phantom Thief…” He uttered.
Fine, if he wanted to continue this chase. Then the least he could do is make it fun for the both of them. They will bask in the thrill and tension of it all, they will savor those short moments between one another, as they wait for the day that their game of cat and mouse ends.
Until the day they can both be together.